A Fire Chief has been presented with a lifetime achievement award for his outstanding work with hazardous materials. Dave Walton, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), received the award at the NCEC Hazmat 2023 conference, when the work he does across the country was highlighted to hundreds of delegates.
Dave is a national pioneer in Hazmat (hazardous materials) and is the National Fire Chiefs Council Hazmat Lead. He was also the Project Executive for the FRS National Operational Guidance Program Hazmat project.
Hazmat incidents
Fire services across the country respond to a wide range of incidents involving hazardous materials
Fire services across the country respond to a wide range of incidents involving hazardous materials. These can have the potential to cause harm to firefighters, other emergency responders, the local community, animals, and the environment.
Firefighters may be called specifically to deal with emergency spillages or releases- or may encounter hazardous materials at fires and other emergency incidents.
The award was presented by Ed Sullivan, the Head of Hazmat Training at NCEC, who said: “Having served as a Hazmat Officer earlier in his FRS career Dave has always been focused on the challenge that Hazmat incidents provide to responders, and he is driven by the desire to demystify this subject for them."
Safe and effective response service
Ed Sullivan added: “Dave has also long been a supporter of the Hazmat conference providing our opening keynote for many years. We really appreciate his involvement and support."
In 2016, Dave was very honored to be presented with the Queens Fire Service Medal"
He continues, “In 2016, Dave was very honored to be presented with the Queens Fire Service Medal. While this Lifetime Achievement Award can’t compare with the grandeur of that event, we hope Dave is honored to receive this award recognizing his contribution to the hazmat community and all he has done to make this subject clear and easy to understand for front-line staff, allowing them to provide a safe and effective response service.”
Fire safety and emergency response
The Lifetime Achievement Award honours those who have made significant contributions to the field of hazardous materials over their careers. Dave Walton is passionate about fire safety and emergency response training, and his commitment to keeping communities safe has earned him admiration from colleagues and members of the public alike.
“It is a great honor to receive this award and it was totally unexpected,” said Dave Walton, adding “I am passionate about my work and it is humbling to be recognized by my peers in such a way. I look forward to continuing my work in hazmat and helping to make our firefighters safer and even more prepared for any situation that might arise.”